Felt-stretcher.



KU 9u ncli ion o Ch are struc pam, and

midlengli with a headed stud Sl. 2l is a hanger notch, common to both structures, and is old in the art.

. The operation: Assume the parts to be in 5 the relative positions shown in Fig. l. The operator by bringing the :tree ends of the stretcher arms toward each other will thereby lessen the distance of separation throughout the entire length thereof, whereupon w he will draw the pelt from the point to the rear end portion of the stretcher and thereover. rlille shape of the teeth will permit the Wet skin to slip freely thereover, and theii 'points projecting slightly beyond the plane of the outer edges of the arms, will hold the skin out of contact with the metal below that from which the teeth were struck up. it will be evident that if the teeth-points lay in the plane of the metal just below them., that the somewhat unequal, stringy surface of the skin would catch thereon and render diicnlt the operation of drawing the pelt 'over the arms. The outer edges of the arms and therefore the outer corners oi the teeth are preferably rounded oii, in order that ther will not injure the skin. i-aifing1 proper y positioned the pelt, thel inner entre of the stretcher arms are then spaced to great a distance as is possible,

3,@ 'whereupon the bar 7 is brought into position and the proper one of its notches engaged with the fork 6 to lock said arms in spaced engagement. The stress orl tension on vthe bar ld will still further -or more securely hol the bar Y in engagement With the fork, in an evident manner.

Treated as above described, the pelt will in some of its parts he stretched to a sulfi- 'cient degree-in fact, as Well as could be a@ done on heretofore existing devices of this character-but at its median portion, which is much the most valuable, it will not be so stretched. The operator will therefore draw upon the bar' la to actuate the toggle l2 to bow the arms 2 and 5 and thus superstretch the median portion or middle of the pelt, as indicated by the dotted lines. When the arms have been bowed or further spaced to the extent desired the proper one of the 5g notches 16 is brought into engagement with the stud 9 to lock the bar 7, the toggle, and thereby the stretcher arms in said bowed form. The pelt thus 'stretched will be preserved in a more natural shape, will be more presentable to' the purchaser-will require less dressing to bring it to the desired degree of thinness, will 'measure more in square inches, and will bring a higher price. Moreover, the toggle andv toggle-actuating a@ bar efectually prevent the opposed faces or" the pelt from coming in Contact with each other.,l thus allowing a tree circulation of air whereby the neitV will be better preserved, bet-ter eared, and better quality therefore greater value.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2, the primary operations having been completed as above described, the stretcher arms are locked apart by engaging a notch 19 with the stud 18. The bar 14 is then forced for'- 70 Wandly to drive the toggle-knuckle likewise to bring the toggle into the dotted line position shown in this figure. Locking thereof is effected as in the structure illustrated `in the principal ligure. "O75 I claim: l

l. A pelt-stretcher comprising in combination a pair of stretcher arms pivoted to each other at their front ends, a lock-bar pivoted to the rear end of one of said ,30 arms and adapted to be engaged 'at different portions Aof its free end by the rear end of the other bar, a spreader arm pivoted to the median portion of eachl of said stretcher arms and the inner ends 35 of said spreader arms pivoted to each other, and a spreader-actuating bar pivoted at one` end directly to both of said spreaderarms, its other end portion being freeto swing and adapted for selective engagements with said 9. lock-bar.

2. A pelis-stretcher comprising, in combination, a pair of arms pivoted to each otherat their front ends, a lock-bar pivoted to the rear end of one of said arms and adapted for engagement with the rear end portion of the other of said arms, a stud on said lock-bar, a spreader-arm pivoted to the median portion of each of said arms, a'nd a spreader-actuating barpivoted to the inner ends of said spreader armsfand adapted for engagements With said stud.

3. A pelt-stretcher comprising in cornbi-` nation a pair of stretcher arms pivoted to each other at their front ends, a stud on the rear' end ofone of said arms, a lock-bar pivoted to the rear end of the other and provided with a plurality of notcheson its rear face, whereby it is adapted `for' selec- Y tive engagements with said stud, to space said rear ends at different distances apart, a stud secured to and near the midlength of said loclobar, a pair of' toggle-arms pivoted to the stretcher arms near their midlengths, and a toggle-actuating bar pivoted at one end to the toggle joint and its other end portion free and rovided with notches any one of which is a apt-ed for engagementy with the lock-bar stud.

4. In combination, stretcher arms, a 120 spreader-arm pivoted to each thereof near its midlength, means for piaotally connectx ing their inner ends a lock-bar for lockingv their rear ends at diierent distances apart, a stud secured on its median portion, and an 3'.' actuating bar in pivotal engagement "with said spreader arms andl provided with a series of notches any one of which is adapf ed to engage said stud.

5. In a polig-stretcher, stretcher .l 

